Sample Art Institute Application Essays

I am applying to the Art Institute in Seattle. I have always dreamed of pursuing my passion for fashion. I have made it through the interview and now I am onto the application process. The application requires an essay minimum of 150 words and they told me students usually range between 250-300 words. I was hoping that I would be able to get some help editing this as well some ideas. The questions that they are are..

What are your career goals and how do you expect your education at the Art Institute of Seattle to help you attain them? In what ways will you participate and commit to your education in order to be successful?

Here is my essay!..

Fashion is unique. It shows who you are. It's walking art. Fashion has sparked my passion and forged my future. My goal is to live my life through my imagination, through creativity. Imagination and creativity are two of the most beautiful things in this world. Without them, we wouldn't have The Space Needle, Starry Night, more functional pieces like computers, or even my once bland lunch box that I embellished with fabric and ribbon. Working with a company that not only supports their employee's imagination and creativity, but also embraces it, is where my goal is leading me.

I have researched many art schools and talked with representatives, but nothing has struck my heart quite like the Art Institute of Seattle. I believe that the Art Institute will not only embrace the creativity that I already have, but challenge me to look deeper inside of me, bringing out the strongest creativity that I have. The curriculum that is designed for the Fashion Design program will challenge me with projects and homework while still keeping me motivated towards my goal. I believe that the Art Institute of Seattle will supply me with real life experience that will aide me greatly once I graduate. With that experience, I will be able to go out into the Fashion industry with confidence.

I believe that the Art Institute of Seattle will be able to bring out the best in me and I am willing to do anything I can to help that happen. I am fully prepared to spend ample time on projects as well as general education. My goal is the most important thing to me and I understand that I will have to make sacrifices to attain it. Sacrifices such as not going out with friends, having summer vacation, and even just general down time. However, it won't be hard to make these sacrifices, knowing that I am working with all my passion towards my dream in fashion. I also am aware that it will be important for me to surround myself in activities that do encourage my passion such as attending Seattle Fashion Week as well as other fashion oriented activities and surrounding myself in a healthy environment that will inspire me. I have been looking for a place to challenge me and surround me with people and places that will inspire me and bring out the best in me. believe that the Art Institute of Seattle is that place.

How to Write a Successful Personal Statement for Art School

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If an art school offers the option of submitting a personal statement, it may be tempting for forgo the opportunity. However, it could actually work to your advantage! In addition to showcasing your personality and thought process, submitting an application essay allows the admissions team to see that you are so much more than just your transcripts. Whether you were a top student or perhaps received lower than average test scores, an art school application essay allows you to showcase your direction as an artist, as well as highlight any additional accomplishments, making you further stand out as an applicant.

When it comes to an art college essay, you may be asked about your art philosophy, your artistic influences, maybe even how you have evolved as an artist. Although the content of the essay itself is subjective, it is a potentially powerful piece that may make the difference between admission and rejection. Needless to say, you need to showcase the very best of you, especially if it may not have come out in the other parts of the application package.

What Should Be in My Personal Essay for Art School?

Some applications may require a lengthier autobiographical essay while others, such as Hussian College, simply request a succinct couple of paragraphs. Either way, there are a few crucial elements to consider to help your artist statement stand out for the right reason.

Although there are no “rules” (unless they are outlined in the requirements), you should remember that it is an essay to be written with care. Ideas should flow together in a way that makes sense and attention should be paid to grammar and verbiage. By showing that you are able to craft a professional piece of content that is mindful of proper grammar and verbiage while speaking to who you are as an individual, your personal statement will truly stand out.

Structuring Your Art School Application Essay

Just like the essays you were taught to write in school, your personal statement should have a discernible introduction, body, and conclusion.

The Introduction: Ideally, your introduction should frame the question being asked of you in the context of how you envision yourself as an artist. It is a good place to set out the parameters of your essay so the reader knows what is to come. You could also use the introduction to provide the reader a basic roadmap so that they can understand how your statement is intended to flow.

The Body: The body will contain your arguments and explanations. Where applicable, make sure you provide concrete examples that can paint a vivid picture for the reader. For example, if you say that abstract modern art has influenced your aesthetic style, you may identify a particular painting, artist, or group of works, that embody what you love. If you pick something like Picasso’s Guernica, speak to the individual visual elements that make the work stand out to you. Is it the use of color? The way the artist has interpreted the historical bombing? What is it that you see in this work or art that may not have been evident to others?

The Conclusion: Though you may be relieved to finally be writing the conclusion, don’t let your personal statement end abruptly! The conclusion, after all, is your last chance to leave a final great first impression. It should reiterate the theme of your statement without introducing any new ideas. Essentially, the reader should be left feeling as though they have a better understanding of who you are as an artist. Think of it this way: if the rest of the essay was the journey, the conclusion is the destination.

Some institutions, like Hussian College, ask for a short statement of 200-500 words. Despite its short length, you should still approach it in a methodical way, with an engaging introduction, clear conclusion, and body that supports the conclusion. Treat it no differently than you would a lengthier essay!

Personal Statement Essay Do’s and Don’ts

While many schools encourage creativity when it comes to crafting your personal statement, it is important to incorporate best writing practices to ensure a piece that is easy to read, thorough, and engaging. Here are a few art school essay writing tips you may wish to adopt to ensure that you put your best foot forward.

Personal Essay Do’s

Answer all the parts of the question. A common mistake that students make when writing a personal statement is to simply list all the positive things about themselves. Make sure that you understand what the question is asking. Sometimes the college wants to see your creativity; other times, they are looking for more fact-based responses. It can be helpful to make an outline or map out the question on a sheet of paper prior to actually writing. This helps to ensure you are touching upon every part of the question(s).

Focus on your strengths. You are, after all, trying to persuade the reader that you are the candidate they want to admit. You want them to understand that you have much to offer their program. Unless you are being specifically asked about a weakness, concentrate your writing on your best facets.

Use specific, personal examples. Not only do these allow the reader to really get to know you, but it will give you a bit more credibility. Instead of vague claims, you will be better able to explain why you think you deserve to be part of their program. You can demonstrate the impact something has had on you, and how you were shaped by it. You may even be showing some out-of-the-box, innovative thinking, which is usually a sought-after trait in an artist.

Make your essay easy to read and follow. Use line breaks to break up paragraphs. Where appropriate, use headings and subheadings. Members of an art school admissions staff often have to read dozens, even hundreds, of personal statements and art essays. Ideally, you want reading your essay to be a pleasant experience, one that is easy to follow and to the point.

Personal Essay Don’ts

Don’t recycle personal statements. If you are applying to multiple art schools, it may be tempting to use the same application or personal essay. However, it’s a good idea to refrain from doing this. What you think of for your graphic design personal statement ideas could be quite different from what you would include in a fine art essay sample, for example. It’s best to treat each personal statement as a separate essay with different focuses.

Don’t lie or embellish. Personal statements are just that… personal! Embellishments or lies can often be sensed by the reader, especially if you are not entirely familiar with a particular topic. Keeping your writing personal and true only adds to the passion, something that admissions teams often look for in an art student. In addition, some colleges conduct interviews. They are free to ask you about the statements you have made in your essay, and if it is full of embellishments, you may find yourself stuck when responding.

Don’t speak in generalities. Very general phrases about what you like or dislike do nothing to actually convey what inspires or influences you. Instead, explain the why. Rather than simply state, “I like bold colors,” you might say: “I prefer the attention that is drawn to bold and saturated colors, often utilized to emphasize a contrast between objects and subject matter.” Ideally, a personal statement is your opportunity to really differentiate yourself as an applicant, not blend into a sea of overly general, unengaging essays.

Don’t get too “avant-garde”, political, or humorous. Even though the essay is an excellent opportunity to give the admissions team a glimpse of your personality, do it strategically. Overdoing the bubbliness may make you appear to not be taking the statement seriously while going overboard with political themes may come off as uninviting to opposing viewpoints. Incorporate your personality, but do so mindfully.

Don’t rely on lists. Unless you are specifically asked to list technical qualifications, lists can be awkward within an application essay and don’t really add to the narrative of your personal statement. As important as the content is, the admissions team is trying to get a sense of how you communicate and what your thought process is. A bullet-style list of art class experience or your favorite artists doesn’t necessarily give them any such insight.

Don’t make excuses. Just as you should be focusing on your strengths, try not to bring up the negative. Why your grade in a certain class was low, for example, may not have been a question in the mind of the reader. If anything, this will only draw attention to this anomaly. The admissions team are only interested in your life events to the extent that they are relevant to what they have asked you to write.

Personal Statement Prompts

Often, a school will provide very broad guidelines for their requested personal statement or application essay. If your forte isn’t writing, very general requirements may be challenging to handle. Where do you start? In these instances, it may be helpful to practice with personal statement writing prompts, which can offer some guidance. There are a few directions that writing prompts may put you in…

Information About Yourself as a Person and Artist

If you’d like to focus on highlighting who you are as a person and as an artist, consider the following writing prompts. Not only do they provide a way to prepare for writing your personal statement, but they allow you to include all the important information about yourself in one place, which could make plotting out your essay much smoother.

Why is this school or program right for you and what you hope to gain from it?

Why are you right for this school or program and what will you offer?

How have you pursued your artistic interest outside of school – hobbies, extra-curricular activities, volunteering, etc.?

How are your personal and life experiences relevant to this program and to your desired career?

What transferable skills do you have?

What leadership opportunities have you had – leading a project, for example – and what lessons were learned from these experiences?

What are your short, medium, and long-term goals?

Which artists have influenced your work – for better or for worse?

How would you describe your artistic style?

What sorts of media do you use and why – or what your favorite medium is and why?

What motivates or inspires you to create art? What are you trying to achieve through art?

What makes you and/or your art unique?

Rhetorical, Creative Thinking Type Questions

Some may prefer to take a more philosophical approach to their art college essay. These types of essays may be quirky or humorous, but don’t be fooled – they are sometimes harder to answer than the more personal, factual questions! Here are some prompts for those who may be looking to get creative:

Can art be simultaneously appealing AND morally corrupt?

Does the amount of freedom in society have an effect on the artwork produced in that society? Explain.

Does art play a greater role in influencing a society or reflecting a society?

Describe the importance of painting in a world with digital photography.

Which is more important in a work of art: technical quality or emotion? Why?

Define “art” based on your personal experience.

How is the creative process in art similar to or different from the creative process in science?

Do artists have an obligation to tell the “truth”? Why or why not?

Making a Great First Impression with Your Personal Artist Statement

Your artist statement really is your chance to make a great first impression, especially if your high school transcripts or standardized test scores are less than impressive. Let the readers—the admissions team—know that you truly do want to attend their school by ensuring a high-quality essay that speaks to who you are as an artist.

With that said, after drafting your personal statement, you may be inclined to submit it right away, especially if you are working on multiple applications at the same time. Given its importance and its function in the application package though, go the extra mile by:

Tinkering with wording to improve the flow. Read your draft out loud to yourself – you’d be surprised how many little errors you can catch when actually hearing the words.

Alternatively, have a friend, family member, or even a previous teacher or art instructor proofread your essay and provide feedback. Let them know if there’s something in particular you’re concerned about, such as the flow of the ideas, or whether your explanations are compelling.

Most Importantly, Don’t Sweat It

It’s easy for students to become overwhelmed at the thought of writing a personal statement for their art school application, especially if they are applying to multiple schools. Don’t stress yourself out! If you’re in a bind, free write on a sheet of paper and get the ideas flowing. Remember to stay true to who you are—that’s what the admissions teams are looking for, after all!

Put these tips to the test when crafting a personal artist statement for your application to Hussian College! We can’t wait to see all that you have to offer as a student. You may also review our course curriculum to find just the right program for you.